1) Latvian Meteor a Marketing Hoax... Science/Hoax
2) Disgraced Cloning Expert Convicted in S. Korea... Science/Hoax
3) Cross-Like T-Shirt Design at Penn State University Sparks Controversy... Liberal/Anti-Christianity
4) Obama Says He Will Not 'Rush' Decision on Afghanistan Strategy, Troop Levels... Obama/Terrorism/Afghan War
5) McChrystal's Call for Additional Troops Goes 'Too Far, Too Fast,' Kerry Warns... Obama/Terrorism/Weakness
6) Senate Bill Will Include 'Public Option' Opt Out... Democrat/Socialized Healthcare/Tricks
7) Scientists discover gene that 'cancer-proofs' rodent's cells... Cancer/Health Care
8) Fighting sleep, researchers reverse the cognitive impairment caused by sleep deprivation... Sleep/Health
9) White House likes news reported its way... Obama/Free Press




1) Latvian Meteor a Marketing Hoax... Science/Hoax
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569592,00.html

October 26, 2009


RIGA, Latvia — A Latvian telecommunications firm has confessed to creating the meteor hoax.

According to LETA, the national news service of Latvia, local firm Tele2 owned up to inventing the entire meteor scam in an effort to put Latvia on the map.

"Our goal is to inspire the people of Latvia," said marketing director Janis Sprogis. "As we can see, with this Latvia made the news all over the world, everyone wants to know about Latvia, and this is not because of the crisis, the hard times and so, but because there is something creative and exciting happening here. It is a unique achievement and part of our communication," said Sprogis.

Unique? Perhaps. Sprogis also said that "Tele2" would compensate all the losses that the state has sustained.

Skeptism grew through the day following the "impact." The Times Online reached out to Ancis Steinbergs, the film student who first reported the meteor. Steinbergs claimed to have been out filming for a university project with his girlfriend and a fellow undergraduate. He refused to answer his telephone tonight to answer questions about the experts’ assessments.

A number of scientists have now dismissed the "meteor" as a hoax, and not a particularly good one. Researchers from the University of Tartu in Latvia concluded that the hole was probably dug by people and not caused by a meteorite, according to Latvian news site Apollo.

The web site spoke with Girts Stinkulis from Latvia University's Geography and Earth Sciences Department. He noted spade marks on the sides of the crater, implying that it was dug by human hands. "There certainly were a number of people," Stinkulis told Apollo.

Meanwhile, Latvian News Agency LETA notes other deviations from confirmed meteor strikes that continues to point to a hoax. Andris Karpovics, a geology studen with the University of Latvia, postulated that the high temperatures observed at the site were most probably created burning a mixture of aluminum and iron, possible with an admixture of sulfur. He called it "a simple, man-made hole with a (chemical) substance poured in."

Other experts in the Baltic country also rushed to the site after reports that a metorite-like object had crashed late Sunday in the Mazsalaca region near the Estonian border.

Uldis Nulle, a scientist at the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center, said his first impression after observing the site late Sunday was that the 27-foot wide, 9-foot deep crater had been caused by a meteorite. He said there was smoke coming out of the hole when he arrived.

However, Dainis Ozols, a nature conservationist who examined the hole in daylight on Monday, said it appeared to be a hoax. Ozols said he believes someone dug the hole and tried to make it look like a meteorite crater by burning some pyrotechnic compound at the bottom. He added he would analyze some samples taken from the site.

When asked about Ozols' theory, Nulle refused to comment, saying he needed more time to make tests at the site.

Inga Vetere of the Fire and Rescue Service said they received a call about the alleged meteorite on Sunday evening from an eyewitness. She said a military unit was dispatched to the site and found that radiation levels were normal. There were no injures.

Experts outside Latvia said it would be unusual for such a large meteorite to hit the Earth. The planet is constantly bombarded with objects from outer space, but most burn up in the atmosphere and never reach the surface.

In 2007, a meteorite crashed near Lake Titicaca in Peru, causing a crater about 40 feet wide and 15 feet deep.

Asta Pellinen-Wannberg, a meteorite expert at the Swedish Institute of Space Research, said she didn't know the details of the Latvian incident, but that a rock would have to be at least 3 feet in diameter to create a hole that size.

Henning Haack, a lecturer at Copenhagen University's Geological Museum said more information was needed to confirm that the crater was indeed caused by a meteorite.

"With all these kind of reports we get there always is a pretty large margin of error," he said.












2) Disgraced Cloning Expert Convicted in S. Korea... Science/Hoax
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569546,00.html?test=latestnews

October 26, 2009


SEOUL, South Korea — A disgraced cloning expert who falsely claimed major breakthroughs in stem cell research was convicted Monday for embezzlement and other charges connected to the scandal, but he will not serve time in prison.

Hwang Woo-suk, 56, once considered a national hero in South Korea, was cleared of the main charge of fraud but was convicted of embezzling research funds and illegally buying human eggs for his research.

Prosecutors had asked for four years in prison, but Judge Bae Ki-yeol of Seoul Central District Court said Hwang had shown remorse and gave him a suspended sentence, sparing him jail time if he stays out of trouble for three years.

Hwang, who appeared confident as he walked into the hearing, made no comment as he left the courthouse.

The verdict marked the culmination of a long fall from grace for a man once hailed as a hero for his pioneering work in stem cell research.

In 2004, Hwang and former colleagues at Seoul National University claimed in a paper published in the journal Science that they had created the world's first cloned human embryos — and had extracted stem cells from them.

Stem cell research is highly sensitive, and Hwang had been the only South Korean scientist allowed to carry out studies on the master cells that scientists say could lead to revolutionary cures for hard-to-treat diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

A year later, Hwang's team also claimed in the journal that they had created human embryonic stem cells genetically matched to specific patients, a purported breakthrough that promised a way to withstand rejection by a patient's immune system.

But questions about his claims led to an investigation by a university committee. The committee concluded that the 2004 paper was based on faked data, and also cast doubt on the 2004 findings. The journal, Science, retracted both papers.

The South Korean government stripped him of the license to carry out stem cell research in 2006. He was charged later that year of embezzling 800 million won (about $8 million) and buying human eggs for research in violation of South Korea's bioethics laws.

Hwang eventually admitted the data was faked but claimed he had been deceived by a fellow researcher.

The protracted trial hearing testimony from more than 60 witnesses lasted more than three years.

During an August hearing, Hwang pleaded for leniency, saying he was ready to "pour the last of my passion" into research.

Hwang, who with his Seoul National team of scientists had created the first known cloned dog in 2005, has focused on cloning since being fired by Seoul National. He now is affiliated with a private research institute.

















3) Cross-Like T-Shirt Design at Penn State University Sparks Controversy... Liberal/Anti-Christianity
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569665,00.html

October 26, 2009




A blue, cross-like design emblazoned on T-shirts at Penn State University has some critics seeing red.

The shirts — intended to foster school spirit — sport a vertical blue line down the center with the words "Penn State White Out" emblazoned across the chest, forming a design that some say resembles a cross. The back of the shirt depicts the same blue line obscured by the words, "Don't be intimated … It's just me and 110,000 of my friends." Roughly 30,000 of the shirts have been sold.

Penn State says it has received six complaints about the shirt, including one from the Anti-Defamation League's Philadelphia branch, from people who say it connotes a Christian cross. The logo design also has become the focus of controversy in the student newspaper, "The Daily Collegian," which has received several letters to the editor on both sides of the issue.

Michal Berns, a junior majoring in media law and policy, said she refused to buy the $15 shirt because of its religious connotations.

"At first glance, you don't necessarily think that's what it looks like, but when you look at it more, it does look like a cross," Berns told Foxnews.com. "That's the reason I didn't purchase it."

Berns said students can purchase the shirts when they buy season tickets for the university's nationally ranked football program or during the football season at the campus bookstore and other stores. The shirts are typically worn at Penn State's annual "White Out" game, at which a crowd of 100,000 screaming Nittany Lions fans creates a virtual sea of white at Beaver Stadium.

While Berns acknowledged the shirt's single blue stripe resembles the stripe on the team's football helmet, she and others at the university's Hillel Jewish organization plan to show their school pride in other ways.

"There always has to be some sort of separation," said Berns, referring to the state-funded school and religious affiliation. "Me personally, I'm not going to buy the shirts and I know others at [Penn State Hillel] who won't, either."

Bill Mahon, vice president for university relations, said six people have contacted Penn State to voice their objections to the shirt's design.

"Six complaints is not a controversy," Mahon wrote Foxnews.com. "Students submit shirt designs to the student paper each year. Students then vote for their favorite design and they are sold in the campus bookstore."

Mahon said the design was based on the single blue stripe on the football team's helmets and will not be pulled from store shelves as some have asked. "The shirts have sold out and no changes are planned," he said.

Stephanie Bennis, a senior at the school, said she created the shirt's design in March with fellow public relations major Emily Sabolsky, and in no way did they intend to create religious overtones. Like Mahon, she said the single blue stripe is a nod to the university's football program.

"That was the entire idea," she said. "And all we thought was normally wording goes right across the chest. That's truly the reason why we did it."

Bennis said she was "very shocked" when she learned the university had received complaints about the design.

"It's just sad to see that in this day and age, the most offensive thing on a shirt can be what people see as a religious symbol," she said.

"Are we going to ban lowercase t's in the alphabet? Where do you draw the line?"

Barry Morrison, regional director of the Eastern Pennsylvania-Delaware region of the Anti-Defamation League, said the organization contacted Penn State officials last month after receiving a complaint regarding the shirt.

Morrison said the similarity to a cross appeared to "inadvertent and unintentional," but he acknowledged that some could take exception.

"This is not intended to be a cross," he said. "But some people clearly saw this connection and decided to complain about it."

Other students contacted by Foxnews.com said if there is a hidden religious message in the shirts, they haven't seen it.

"It's a little blown out of proportion," senior John Shoemaker said. "I kind of see where they're coming from, but I don't think it was designed as a religious statement."

Shoemaker, who purchased one of the shirts for $15 to wear at Penn State's loss to Iowa last month, said they're "relatively common" on the State College, Pa., campus.

Nick Mangus, a senior majoring in East Asian studies, described the controversy as "ridiculous" and said images of crosses can be seen virtually anywhere, even in "tiles on the floor."

"Honestly, I think it's basically people just trying to stir up controversy over something that's ridiculous," Mangus said. "If you don't want to buy it, don't buy it. It's that simple. You don't have to try and force everyone else to change their ways because you think it's offensive."
















4) Obama Says He Will Not 'Rush' Decision on Afghanistan Strategy, Troop Levels... Obama/Terrorism/Afghan War
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/26/obama-says-rush-decision-afghanistan-strategy-troop-levels/

October 26, 2009
President Obama tells service men and women at Naval Air Station Jacksonville he will not risk their lives unless "absolutely necessary."

President Obama pledged on Monday not to "rush the solemn decision" to send more troops to battle in Afghanistan as he weighs military options on what to do next in the troubled war.

"I won't risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary," Obama told service men and women at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. He promised a "clear mission" with defined goals and the equipment needed to get the job done.

Obama, who is in the process of weighing options put forward by the Pentagon that include various levels of increased troops, spoke of the latest example of the dangers and sacrifices there -- helicopter crashes that killed 14 Americans in the deadliest day for the U.S. mission in Afghanistan in more than four years.

"Fourteen Americans gave their lives. And our prayers are with these service members, their civilian colleagues and the families who loved them," Obama said. "They were willing to risk their lives, in this case to prevent Afghanistan from again becoming a safe haven for Al Qaeda and its extremist allies."

His visit to the naval air station came after he met at the White House with his national security team for a sixth full-scale conference on the future of the faltering war.

The administration is debating whether to send tens of thousands more troops to the country, while the Afghan government is moving to hold a Nov. 7 runoff election between President Hamid Karzai and challenger Abdullah Abdullah. The runoff comes after complaints by international monitors of fraudulent voting in the first election.

But, Obama's critics say the time for him to make a decision is running out.

"Republicans want very much to support the president's decision," Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., told "Fox News Sunday." But he cited Gen. Stanley McChrystal's own warning that U.S. and NATO forces may only have about one year before the insurgency's momentum becomes irreversible.

"It's been more than two months since the recommendation went to the president. And Gen. McChrystal is talking about a 12-month time frame," Kyl said. "So clearly time is of the essence here."

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., also called for an end to the delay.

"The sooner the decision is made, the sooner we get people over there and are able to implement the strategy that will succeed," he told CBS' "Face the Nation." "Every day we delay will be a delay in this strategy succeeding."

Waves of boisterous cheers greeted the president in Florida. Obama noted that representatives of all the nation's military services attended the gathering.

Obama did not tip his hand on how he might decide.

"I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm's way," he said.

If it is necessary, Obama added, "we will back you up to the hilt."















5) McChrystal's Call for Additional Troops Goes 'Too Far, Too Fast,' Kerry Warns... Obama/Terrorism/Weakness
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/26/mcchrystals-additional-troops-goes-far-fast-kerry-warns/

October 26, 2009
The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Monday he doubts the U.S. has reliable Afghan forces to partner with but doesn't want to add 40,000 more U.S. troops to conduct counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal's proposal to send 40,000 additional U.S. combat troops to Afghanistan "reaches too far, too fast," Sen. John Kerry warned Monday.

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said that three conditions must be met before the Obama administration decides to deploy more troops to the region: assurance that the Afghan forces are reliable enough to partner with U.S. troops, assistance from the country's local leaders, and the cooperation and support of the Afghan people.

"Under the right circumstances, if we can be confident that military efforts can be sustained and built upon, then I would support the President should he decide to send some additional troops to regain the initiative," Kerry told the Council of Foreign Relations.

Kerry said that while he believes McChrystal understands "the necessity of conducting a smart counterinsurgency in a limited geographic area," his current plan to send additional troops to the region "reaches too far, too fast."

"We have already begun implementing a counterinsurgency strategy, but I believe that right now it needs to be as narrowly focused as possible. We must be very wary of overextension," he said.

Kerry's position would appear to rebut anti-war Democrats and others who question calls to deepen the U.S. stake in the country. At the same time, the Democratic senator would not endorse a major military increase as advocated by the commanding U.S. general in Afghanistan.

Kerry said the U.S. does not have the "critical guarantees of governance and development capacity."

"I also have serious concerns about the ability to produce effective Afghan forces to partner with, so we can ensure that when our troops make heroic sacrifices, the benefits to the Afghans are clear and sustainable," he said.

Kerry, who returned Wednesday from a seven-day trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan, also criticized the Bush administration for neglecting the eight-year-old war, saying, "You cannot understate the degree to which the Bush administration turned its back on Afghanistan completely."

Speaking of former Vice President Dick Cheney, who recently criticized President Obama's approach to redefining military strategy in Afghanistan, Kerry said that Cheney had boasted in 2002 that "the Taliban regime was out of business permanently."

"This is one time I wish he was right," Kerry said.

Kerry was responding to recent remarks from Cheney, in which the former vice president blasted Obama for "dithering" over the decision to send additional troops to the region.

As Obama weighs his options on the military side, the State Department said Monday it was on track to meet the goal of tripling the size of U.S. civilian workersr in Afghanistan by year's end or very early 2010.

That will bring the number of agronomists, lawyers, diplomats and development experts in the country from 320 in January to 974, Deputy Secretary of State for Management Jack Lew told reporters.

Lew said he did not expect Obama's decision on troops to have a significant effect on the civilians except in cases where additional troops might secure new areas of the country for them to work safely.

Three civilian Drug Enforcement Administration agents died Monday during the crash of a U.S. military helicopter that also killed seven U.S. service members, an official said. The craft went down in the west of Afghanistan.

The casualties mark the first DEA deaths in Afghanistan since the drug agency began operations there in 2005.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because no formal announcement has been made. Officials say the helicopter had left the scene of a firefight with insurgents.











6) Senate Bill Will Include 'Public Option' Opt Out... Democrat/Socialized Healthcare/Tricks
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/26/senate-include-public-option-opt/?test=latestnews

October 26, 2009
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday that Senate legislation will include government-backed health insurance that allows states to opt out, but it's "not a silver bullet"

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday that Senate Democrats will include in the health care reform bill a government-backed health insurance program that allows states to opt out if they can come up with an alternative.

"I think it's the fairest way to go," Reid said of the "opt out" proposal.

The "opt out" proposal would set up a national insurance plan with government seed money and be run by a private, not-for-profit board. Under the proposal, states would have to prove they can provide comparable coverage in order to exit out of the federal plan. The plan would also negotiate rates with providers just like private insurance companies do, presumably keeping premiums on a level playing field with the private industry.

The measure is one of a host of different so-called public options being considered in the Senate. Though the public option seemed off the table in the chamber just one month ago, it gained traction in recent weeks as Democratic leaders floated versions meant to be more appealing to party moderates.

Reid expressed confidence Monday that the new Senate bill, which is a merger of the health care bills passed by two separate Senate panels, would have the "support of my caucus" once the Congressional Budget Office puts a price tag on the proposal.

Reid, though, needs 60 votes to shut down debate and move the bill toward a final vote on the floor -- he appeared to be a couple votes shy of that number over the weekend. Plus Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, the only Republican so far to vote for any version of health care reform, opposes Reid's plan.

"While the public option is not a silver bullet, I believe it's an important way to ensure competition and to level the playing field for patients with the insurance industry," Reid said.

Snowe favors a bill that would "trigger" a public plan down the road only if the insurance industry does not meet certain conditions, and released a statement Monday saying she was "deeply disappointed" by Reid's proposal.

But Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin told Fox News that Snowe's version would have lost votes from liberal Democrats. Reid said Democrats will "have to move forward" without the Maine senator, and that he hopes Snowe eventually sees the "wisdom" in supporting the overall package.

"I'm always looking for Republicans," Reid said.

Reid maintained that the bill still includes a "coop," as was included in the Senate Finance Committee version.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pushing a more robust version of the public plan, which would be based on Medicare rates and in turn provide for cheaper premiums. Pelosi reportedly does not yet have the votes in her caucus to pass that version.

House Republican Leader John Boehner said it's time to scrap the existing health care proposals and start over.

"Whether you call it a public option, an opt-out, a trigger, or a co-op, the fact is all of these proposals put us on the path to government-run health care," Boehner said. Forcing Americans off of their current health coverage and onto a government-run plan isn't the answer, but that's exactly what the Democrats' plan would do."

After Reid spoke, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs issued a statement in which President Obama congratulated Democrats for their "hard work on health insurance reform."

"While much work remains, the president is pleased that at the progress that Congress has made. He's also pleased that the Senate has decided to include a public option for health coverage, in this case with an allowance for states to opt out. As he said to Congress and the nation in September, he supports the public option because it has the potential to play an essential role in holding insurance companies accountable through choice and competition," Gibbs said.

The head of the AFL-CIO also gave some ground Monday, saying the labor group is open to Democrats' proposal to tax high-value health insurance plans as a means of paying for the reform package.

But the health insurance industry bristled at Reid's announcement. America's Health Insurance Plans, which has fought against a public option, released a statement Monday saying the new plan would "underpay doctors and hospitals" rather than drive reform and bring down costs.

"The divisive debate about a government-run plan is a roadblock to reform," AHIP President Karen Ignagni said. "It's time we focus instead on broad-based reforms that will ensure the affordability and sustainability of our health care system."













7) Scientists discover gene that 'cancer-proofs' rodent's cells... Cancer/Health Care
http://www.labspaces.net/100356/Scientists_discover_gene_that__cancer_proofs__rodent_s_cells

October 26, 2009


Despite a 30-year lifespan that gives ample time for cells to grow cancerous, a small rodent species called a naked mole rat has never been found with tumors of any kind—and now biologists at the University of Rochester think they know why.

The findings, presented in today's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that the mole rat's cells express a gene called p16 that makes the cells "claustrophobic," stopping the cells' proliferation when too many of them crowd together, cutting off runaway growth before it can start. The effect of p16 is so pronounced that when researchers mutated the cells to induce a tumor, the cells' growth barely changed, whereas regular mouse cells became fully cancerous.

"We think we've found the reason these mole rats don't get cancer, and it's a bit of a surprise," say Vera Gorbunova and Andrei Seluanov, professors of biology at the University of Rochester and lead investigators on the discovery. "It's very early to speculate about the implications, but if the effect of p16 can be simulated in humans we might have a way to halt cancer before it starts."

Naked mole rats are strange, ugly, nearly hairless mouse-like creatures that live in underground communities. Unlike any other mammal, these communities consist of queens and workers more reminiscent of bees than rodents. Naked mole rats can live up to 30 years, which is exceptionally long for a small rodent. Despite large numbers of naked mole-rats under observation, there has never been a single recorded case of a mole rat contracting cancer, says Gorbunova. Adding to their mystery is the fact that mole rats appear to age very little until the very end of their lives.

Over the last three years, Gorbunova and Andrei Seluanov, professor of bioogy at the University of Rochester, have worked an unusual angle on the quest to understand cancer: Investigating rodents from across the globe to get an idea of the similarities and differences of how varied but closely related species deal with cancer.
In 2006, Gorbunova discovered that telomerase—an enzyme that can lengthen the lives of cells, but can also increase the rate of cancer—is highly active in small rodents, but not in large ones.

Until Gorbunova and Seluanov's research, the prevailing wisdom had assumed that an animal that lived as long as we humans do needed to suppress telomerase activity to guard against cancer. Telomerase helps cells reproduce, and cancer is essentially runaway cellular reproduction, so an animal living for 70 years has a lot of chances for its cells to mutate into cancer, says Gorbunova. A mouse's life expectancy is shortened by other factors in nature, such as predation, so it was thought the mouse could afford the slim cancer risk to benefit from telomerase's ability to speed healing.

While the findings were a surprise, they revealed another question: What about small animals like the common grey squirrel that live for 24 years or more? With telomerase fully active over such a long period, why isn't cancer rampant in these creatures?

Gorbunova sought to answer that question, and in 2008 confirmed that small-bodied rodents with long lifespans had evolved a previously unknown anti-cancer mechanism that appears to be different from any anticancer mechanisms employed by humans or other large mammals.

At the time she was not able to identify just what the mechanism might be, saying: "We haven't come across this anticancer mechanism before because it doesn't exist in the two species most often used for cancer research: mice and humans. Mice are short-lived and humans are large-bodied. But this mechanism appears to exist only in small, long-lived animals."

Now, Gorbunova believes she has found the primary reason these small animals are staying cancer-free, and it appears to be a kind of overcrowding early-warning gene that the naked mole rat expresses in its cells.

When Gorbunova and her team began specifically investigating mole rat cells, they were surprised at how difficult it was to grow the cells in the lab for study. The cells simply refused to replicate once a certain number of them occupied a space. Other cells, such as human cells, also cease replication when their populations become too dense, but the mole rat cells were reaching their limit much earlier than other animals' cells.

"Since cancer is basically runaway cell replication, we realized that whatever was doing this was probably the same thing that prevented cancer from ever getting started in the mole rats," says Gorbunova.

Like many animals, including humans, the mole rats have a gene called p27 that prevents cellular overcrowding, but the mole rats use another, earlier defense in gene p16. Cancer cells tend to find ways around p27, but mole rats have a double barrier that a cell must overcome before it can grow uncontrollably.

"We believe the additional layer of protection conferred by this two-tiered contact inhibition contributes to the remarkable tumor resistance of the naked mole rat," says Gorbunova in the PNAS paper.

Gorbunova and Seluanov are now planning to delve deeper into the mole rat's genetics to see if their cancer resistance might be applicable to humans.


















8) Fighting sleep, researchers reverse the cognitive impairment caused by sleep deprivation... Sleep/Health
http://www.labspaces.net/100350/Fighting_sleep__researchers_reverse_the_cognitive_impairment_caused_by_sleep_deprivation

October 26, 2009
A research collaboration led by biologists and neuroscientists at the University of Pennsylvania has found a molecular pathway in the brain that is the cause of cognitive impairment due to sleep deprivation. Just as important, the team believes that the cognitive deficits caused by sleep deprivation, such as an inability to focus, learn or memorize, may be reversible by reducing the concentration of a specific enzyme that builds up in the hippocampus of the brain.

It is known that sleep deprivation can have cognitive consequences, including learning and memory deficits, but the mechanisms by which sleep deprivation affects brain function remain unknown. A particular challenge has been to develop approaches to reverse the impact of sleep deprivation on cognitive function.

The findings, reported in this week's issue of the journal Nature, could present a new approach to treating the memory and learning deficits of insomnia. A molecular mechanism by which brief sleep deprivation alters hippocampal function is now identified in mice, involving the impairment of cyclic-AMP- and protein-kinase-A-dependent forms of synaptic plasticity, or readiness for cognitive function.

Ted Abel, principal investigator and professor of biology in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, led the international team of researchers that found that sleep deprivation in mice affects an important molecular pathway in the hippocampus, a region of the brain known to be important for memory and learning.

The study showed that mice deprived of sleep had increased levels of the enzyme PDE4 and reduced levels of the molecule cAMP, the latter of which is crucial in forming new synaptic connections in the hippocampus, a physiological hallmark of learning.

Researchers then treated the mice with PDE inhibitors, which rescued the sleep deprivation-induced deficits in cAMP signaling, synaptic plasticity and hippocampus dependent memory. This reversal also helped to rescue deficits in synaptic connections in the hippocampus and therefore counteract some of the memory consequences of sleep deprivation.

"Millions of people regularly obtain insufficient sleep," Abel said. "Our work has identified a treatment in mice that can reverse the cognitive impact of sleep deprivation. Further, our work identifies specific molecular changes in neurons caused by sleep deprivation, and future work on this target protein promises to reveal novel therapeutic approaches to treat the cognitive deficits that accompany sleep disturbances seen in sleep apnea, Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia."















9) White House likes news reported its way... Obama/Free Press
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=736612

10/26/2009
A conservative media watchdog says it has become increasingly apparent that the only legitimate media coverage -- according to the Obama administration -- is news that praises the president.

Last week the Obama administration attempted to isolate and exclude the Fox News Channel by telling the White House media pool that it would make "pay czar" Kenneth Feinberg available for interviews to every member except Fox News. But according to Fox News, the Washington bureau chiefs of the five TV networks consulted and decided that none of their reporters would interview Feinberg unless Fox was included.

The administration eventually relented, making Feinberg available for all five pool members and Bloomberg TV. Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the Media Research Center, is pleased to see some backbone in the media.

"I think even some journalists now have started suggesting that it's a bad idea for the Obama people to try to make Fox unpopular and try to say Fox isn't a legitimate news channel," he observes.

According to the media watchdog, the administration is being more than a bit hypocritical.

"You know, there's just nothing funnier than an Obama administration official coming out and saying things like [Fox News is] not a news channel because they come with a perspective," says Graham.

"We've just been through two years of the news people portraying Obama with a heavenly aura around his head -- and they're saying we don't like news with perspective? The Obama administration is insisting that news is defined by praising the president."

Graham says he agrees with a recent assessment by Fox's Brit Hume, who suggested that the White House is trying to "quarantine" Fox so other media outlets might be discouraged from picking up on stories that Fox originates.